A Scar Like Frost
by Galaya
Summary: Merlin gets injured and is healed by a mysterious woman. Another reason for him to leave Ealdor. Companion piece to Knight of the Dawn.
1. Chapter 1

**A Scar Like Frost**

Galaya

**This is an idea I had. It's a companion piece to my story, **_**Knight of the Dawn**_**. It's basically supposed to be a reason why he left Ealdor.**

Children's shouts could be heard in the forest. They were throwing stones into a stream trying to hit the silvery fish gliding through the water. One boy crouched down near the edge of the stream to stare into the water, disliking the game the others were playing.

An older, stronger boy threw a stone. Unfortunately, he had terrible aim. The stone went straight at the younger boy's head.

One of the others noticed this and called out, "Merlin!"

The boy called Merlin looked up. The stone hit Merlin's temple and Merlin screamed.

The others scattered at the sudden sound. The boy who had called out to Merlin rushed to the fallen boy's side.

"Merlin! Merlin, wake up!" he called desperately.

"Leave him, Kay. He's nothing but trouble. He's a demon," the boy who had thrown the stone sneered. "And demons must die!"

"He's my cousin! And like an older brother to me!" Kay countered. "Pease, he needs help!"

"I can help you," a mystical female voice said.

All the children but Kay and Merlin screamed and ran off.

Kay, on the other hand, whipped his head around to see who had spoken.

A young woman, seemingly made of mist, stood in the center of the clearing. She strode over to the two boys. Everywhere she walked became covered with frost. Kneeling down before them, she reached out and touched the wound on Merlin's temple.

The touch seemed to make Merlin fall asleep. Kay feared that his cousin was dying.

"Emrys will live, young Kay," the mist woman assured the boy.

"How do you know my name? And why'd you call Merlin 'Emrys?'"

"You'll see someday."

With that, she stood up.

"Who are you?" Kay inquired.

The woman just smiled. She then turned and left, fading away.

Kay looked down at his cousin and nearly jumped. The wound was gone!

In its place, a silvery scar shaped like frost covered his temple. Kay reached out and pressed his fingers to it gently.

It was as cold as ice.

**Reviews? Should I continue or is this good? Please tell me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A Scar Like Frost**

Galaya

**I decided to write another chapter for this story, so here it is.**

**Thank you, SmilelyMiley, for your review and the encouragement for this chapter. Sorry, it doesn't have Arthur in it. I have a different story in which Arthur and the others find out about this scar. **

**By the way, Merlin is twelve and Kay is eleven in this chapter.**

It had been two years since the incident in the forest by the stream. All Merlin had to remember it was the scar on his temple. He would often reach up and rub it. He had found that, no matter what he did, he could not warm the scar up. It was always as cold as ice.

The other villagers never forgot that day. Nor did they let Merlin forget. Often, Merlin was called a demon, or even a devil.

Merlin became very nervous around those he didn't trust. The only ones he did trust were his family: his mother, Hunith, his cousins Kay and Galahad, his uncle Dølric, and his aunt Vaníce.

Currently, he was out in the village with Kay after picking a couple apples for their mid-day meal. They were passing a group of children.

"Demon!" the children shouted.

Merlin lowered his head and continued walking.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Kay defended his raven-haired cousin.

Merlin shot the younger boy a look of gratitude.

"The demon needs his little cousin to protect him," one of the other boys taunted.

Merlin's fists clenched and his eyes tinted with gold.

"Don't let them get to you. You don't want to give them another reason to hate you!" Kay whispered.

"I am some kind of demon, aren't I?" Merlin asked.

"No, you're not!"

"Then why do I have magic?"

Kay just shook his head.

"See?" Merlin snapped.

Merlin strode off dejectedly. Kay stood, unable to decide whether or not to follow his cousin.

One of the other boys walked up to Kay.

"I'm sorry about Faldrey. He's a bully," the boy said.

"And no one ever stops him," Kay grumbled.

"We do try!" the boy protested. "I'm Will, by the way."

"Kay. And he's my cousin, Merlin," Kay gestured towards the retreating figure.

"I know. I've heard about some of the things that have happened to him. Does… does he really have a scar on his temple? One that's always freezing to the touch and a silvery color?" Will queried.

"Yeah. He doesn't like talking about it much. It always reminds him that he's… different. That the others consider him a… demon.

"You know, most people hate Merlin when they hear about those things. You, on the other hand, don't seem to mind," Kay observed.

"I know what it's like to be different. My father was killed a few months ago, fighting for King Cenred," Will explained.

"And the others pick on you for it?"

"Mmm-hmm. They say I'm a _supporter_ of the_ king_," Will spat 'supporter' and 'king' as if they were a disease.

"I'm sorry. Er… I should go see if Merlin's Okay."

"I'll go with you. You both look as if you could use a friend."

Both Will and Kay grinned.

"Come on, then!" Kay invited.

Back at their family's home, Merlin was watching his youngest cousin; six year-old Galahad.

"_M_'erlin! I'_m_ hungry!" Galahad complained.

Merlin handed the small, blond boy an apple.

"Thank you," the six year-old said.

"Hmm. How's your nose?"

Merlin was referring to a large burn on the right side of young Galahad's nose.

"Better. It doesn't hurt as _m_'uch any'_m_'ore."

The young boy had had trouble pronouncing Ms due to the burn. Merlin's mother, Hunith, had said that Galahad would, most likely, have trouble for the rest of his life.

"Merlin?" Kay's voice suddenly called out, causing Merlin and Galahad to jump.

"Kay?" Galahad asked.

"Come on out!"

"Why?" Merlin demanded.

"Do I have to tell you everything? There's just someone I want you to meet."

Merlin shrugged and went outside. Galahad followed. Kay was standing with another boy about Merlin's age.

"Who's he?" Merlin asked, slightly hostile.

"This is Will. The others pick on him to. He even doesn't seem to mind hearing about all of your… er… odd encounters?" Kay answered, unsure of what to call the strange events.

"Not even the one with the Mist Woman?" Merlin inquired, genuinely curious.

They had long ago named Merlin's mysterious savior "the Mist Woman."

"That really did happen? You don't just have the scar?" Will questioned.

"Yes," Merlin replied cautiously.

"I wonder what it was like to see her," Will said.

"Kay was the one who actually saw her; I was unconscious and nearly dead."

"And I was back at home," Galahad added.

"Oh. Well, I saw Faldrey teasing you earlier, and thought you both needed a friend."

"You'd be friends with someone who's a dem…?"

"You're not one, Merlin!" Kay butted in.

"Well everyone treats me like one and so many strange things happen to me!"

"You're just unlucky," Will shrugged.

"Maybe…" Merlin trailed off.

Kay shot him a grateful look, obviously having been struggling to convince Merlin of that for a long time.

"I know what it's like to be different. The other tease me because my father died fighting for the _king_ a few months ago," Will told Merlin.

"My father left before I was born," Merlin admitted. "I don't even know his name."

"I'm sorry. I bet that doesn't help at all. Perhaps we'll get along well."

"May I ask who this is?" a woman said.

"Mother!" Merlin exclaimed.

"This is Will. He offered to be our friend, even after hearing about Merlin's unexplainable experiences!" Kay said.

"I see," Hunith responded.

"He also got Merlin to say he might not be a… you know."

Hunith looked surprised and Merlin glared at Kay.

"Then it seems I should thank you, Will. Merlin can be quite stubborn. And a friend would do him good."

Will, Kay, and Galahad beamed. Even Merlin smiled slightly.

Hunith was pleased to see her son smile. She couldn't remember the last time he had.

A friend would indeed do him good.

**And I shall stop the story here. If you liked this, you may like my other story, **_**Knight of the Dawn**_**. This is somewhat of a prequel to it (not a true one, though.)**

**Reviews? Please?**


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